Quick answer
Tequila and lime are the core of a margarita sour. Add orange liqueur or agave for balance, soda and grapefruit for paloma paths, and chili-salt rims when food is spicy.
Tequila’s vegetal edge shows through more than vodka — if the drink tastes “green” in a bad way, check dilution and salt; often the fix is colder ice and a slightly sweeter balance, not more lime.
Five directions
Classic margarita on the rocks.
Tommy’s margarita with agave instead of triple sec.
Paloma: lime, tequila, grapefruit soda.
Ranch water: tequila, lime, topo chico.
Spicy: muddle jalapeño or use chili tincture.
Pick your tequila
Blanco for brightness, reposado for roundness in stirred formats, mezcal split for smoke.
Rim, salt, and heat
Half-salt rims keep options open for guests who want less sodium. With very hot food, sugar-heavy margaritas can clash — drier paloma or ranch-water formats often survive spice better.
Mocktail paths
NA tequila, lime, agave, and grapefruit soda make a convincing paloma alternative.
PairlyMix from two bottles
Tell PairlyMix what else you own — it branches tequila-lime into full menus with taco-night pairing.